Brad Davison named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

posted by Badger Sports Network -
Feb 26, 2018

Even on injured shoulders, Brad Davison nearly carried Wisconsin to an upset of No. 2 Michigan State at the Kohl Center on Sunday. The performance capped a standout week of play, which garnered Davison recognition as Big Ten Freshman of the Week from the league office on Monday.

Davison erupted for a career-high 30 points against No. 2 Michigan State on Sunday, even despite having to leave the game at one point early in the second half with a shoulder injury. Scoring 23 of his points in the second half alone, Davison played through the physical adversity and electrified the Kohl Center crowd during a spirited second-half upset bid against the Spartans.

Davison became the first Badger freshman with a 30-point game since Sam Okey scored 30 points against Milwaukee on Dec. 10, 1996. The last UW freshman to score 30 points against a Big Ten opponent was Michael Finley (vs. Michigan, 2/26/92).

A Maple Grove, Minnesota native, Davison was UW’s second-leading scorer with 19 points against Minnesota. He matched career highs in 3-point field goals (5) and steals (4), while playing a career-high 44 minutes in Wisconsin’s overtime win over the Gophers.

Davison ranks second for Wisconsin averaging 12.1 points per game this season. He is on track to become just the fourth Badger in the last 20 years to average double-digit scoring as a freshman (Devin Harris in 2002, Alando Tucker in 2003 and Ethan Happ in 2016).

This is the second career Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor for Davison, who also received the recognition earlier this season on Nov. 26. Davison is the first UW freshman to earn the award since teammate Ethan Happ was a three-time honoree in 2015-16. Davison is the fourth player in UW history to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, joining Happ, Nigel Hayes (2013-14) and Sam Dekker (2012-13).

Wisconsin begins postseason play as the No. 9 seed in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Badgers will face eighth-seeded Maryland on Thursday in an 11 a.m. (CT) game live on Big Ten Network and the Badger Sports Network.

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